Kyler Murray’s 2020 NFL MVP Odds Get Even Better After Cardinals Acquire Hopkins

• The Cardinals added a three-time All-Pro wide receiver by trading for the Texans’ DeAndre Hopkins
• Quarterback Kyler Murray’s odds of winning the 2020 NFL MVP improved after Hopkins’ acquisition
• See below for the most recent odds to win the 2020 NFL MVP

The Arizona Cardinals made a major move to help second-year quarterback Kyler Murray by acquiring All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Houston Texans in a trade.

The oddsmakers certainly took notice of the acquisition. Not only have Murray’s 2020 NFL MVP odds improved but they are now better than those of Texans’ quarterback DeShaun Watson.

Odds to Win 2020 NFL MVP

Odds taken March 17. 

Fine First Impression

Murray was voted as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. He lived up to his billing as the first overall draft choice, though some analysts thought the Cardinals overreached with that pick.

The 2018 Heisman Trophy winner at Oklahoma completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,722 yards and 20 touchdowns while being intercepted 12 times.

Murray’s quarterback rating of 87.1 ranked just 21st in the league. However, it wasn’t bad for someone on a team that went 5-10-1 and lacked big-play threats.

Kyler Murray is too small they said.

Kyler Murray should play baseball they said.

Congrats, @K1, on winning The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

➡️ https://t.co/EX8q17CgJ0#OUDNA | #RedSea | #KylerKnowspic.twitter.com/117ODU4bFR pic.twitter.com/dRGfXvVrpI

— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) February 1, 2020

It had to be heartening to first-year coach Kliff Kingsbury that Murray made steady progress throughout the season. That included leading the Cardinals to a 27-13 road upset of the Seattle Seahawks as an eight-point underdog in Week 16.

Help Wanted

Hopkins should significantly boost the Cardinals’ receiving situation.

Last season, seven Arizona players had at least 20 receptions. Yet wide receiver Damiere Byrd’s 11.2 yards per catch average was tops among that group.

Larry Fitzgerald is an 11-time Pro Bowler but has become more of a possession receiver in the latter stages of his career. His average of 10.7 last season was his best since 2015.

A Hopkins-Fitzgerald pairing is historic, though.

There are three wide receivers in NFL history to have managed more than 8,000 receiving yards by age 27.

1. Randy Moss (9,142)
2. DeAndre Hopkins (8,602)
3. Larry Fitgerald (8,204)

The Cardinals will now have two of them on the same roster for the 2020 NFL season.

— Kate Magdziuk (@FFballblast) March 16, 2020

Christian Kirk shows promise as a potential big-play receiver but his yards per catch dropped from 13.7 as a rookie in 2018 to 10.4 last season.

Hopkins Should Help

Hopkins’ yards per reception average was also 11.2 last season, a career-low, but his career mark is 13.6.

And Murray was quite pleased by the trade.

LETS GET RIGHT! @DeAndreHopkins

— Kyler Murray (@K1) March 16, 2020

There is also some concern that the 27-year-old Hopkins showed some slippage last season when he had 104 receptions, 1,165 yards and seven touchdowns.

However, it’s instructive to note that he is just a year removed from a season of 115 catches, 1,572 yards and 11 TDs.

Love the Drake

The Cardinals will also have Kenyan Drake as their primary running back from the start of the season in 2020. He did not join Arizona last year until Week 9 following his acquisition from the Miami Dolphins in a trade.

Drake made a major impact, rushing for 643 yards and eight touchdowns on 123 carries in eight games. He also caught 28 passes for 171 yards.

Kenyan Drake, running back, THE RUNNING BACK, ya'llpic.twitter.com/CzGYS0Ilmv

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 16, 2020

Drake’s play made running back David Johnson expendable. The former All-Pro selection was shipped to the Texans in the deal for Hopkins.

The Cardinals have placed the transition tag on Drake. He gives Arizona the rushing threat it needs to keep defenses honest and takes the pressure off Murray.

What Will 2020 Bring?

It is easy to project the Cardinals as the “It’ team going into next season.

In fact, the Cardinals have striking similarities to last summer’s “It” team, the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns also had a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Oklahoma coming off a promising rookie season in Baker Mayfield. Also, like the Cardinals, Cleveland added significant help at wide receiver by trading for the New York Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr.

The Browns wound up flopping with a 6-10 record. With that in mind, despite his bright future, it might be wise to tap the breaks on the excitement surrounding Murray and the Cardinals for now.